artifacts page

Riccio Artifacts are the designs of Daniel Riccio. They are high quality, hand crafted miniatures made of bronze, and silver. The method used is the ancient technique of lost wax casting. The process begins with a wax pattern in the shape of the object to be cast. A stainless steel shell is placed around the wax pattern. Plaster investment is poured into the shell and left to harden. This becomes the mold. It is then heated in a furnace. The wax melts and flows out through a channel and is therefore “lost”. The resulting cavity is the exact imprint of the pattern. Molten metal is forced into this cavity with great pressure and left to cool. The mold is broken away. The casting is cut free of its channel and thoroughly cleaned for finishing. Polishing brings out the highlights and reveals the beauty of the metal. Various “patinas” are also applied to enhance or color the background. They give each piece its own distinctive character.